“We all hold a beast inside. The only difference is what form it takes when freed.”

Rain Ryland has never belonged anywhere, He’s use to people judging him for his rough background, his intimidating size, and now, his orphan status. He’s always been on the outside, looking in, and he’s fine with that. Until he moves to New Wurzburg and meets Friederike Burkhart.

Freddie isn’t like normal teen girls, though. And someone wants her dead for it. Freddie warns he’d better stay far away if he wants to stay alive, but Rain’s never been good at running rom trouble. For the first time, Rain has something worth fighting for, worth living for. Worth dying for.

Ancient magic and modern society collide in a sexy, spellbinding romance perfect for fans of C. C. Hunter and Maggie Stiefvater that proves sometimes beauty is the beast…

1) What is on your desk or where you write? What do you need to write? Do you have a writer’s survival kit?

Right now, there is nothing on my desk because I’m on a loaner desk. I was forced to evacuate my home on August 25th because of Hurricane Harvey, and have only returned three times since to pick up things I need, like my computer and clothes. Fortunately, my house didn’t get any water inside, but the island I live on was hit hard and the infrastructure was damaged. We won’t be able to return until a new water well is installed, and that will take time because there’s currently no way to get drilling equipment across. No running water means no showers, which means no way. J

Ordinarily, I have three tiny plush bees (I call my kids the bees), a small plastic anteater (my favorite animal in the world), and a Totoro toy because he makes me happy.

I prefer to write in a room with a closed door and no music or sound. I can edit anywhere.

The survival kit would be comprised of my bowl of dark chocolate candies and a cup of coffee.

2) What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a panster? Which do you prefer: drafting or revising?

My process depends on the project. Some projects, like Haven, have more intricate plots revolving around mysteries, so an outline and stepping back occasionally helps a lot. Others seem to flow better if allowed to go their own way in long, continuous writing marathons. I find the ones not outlined end up with heavier edits. As far as my preferences, I much prefer revising to drafting.
3) What is your number one writing tip?

5) A book goes through a lot of different versions and rounds of editing before it’s complete. What are some “fun facts” or behind the scenes info you can share about the characters from your book or the world you created for it that may or may not have made it to the final draft of the book?

After the ARCs were printed, we decided to give it one more round to amp up the romantic elements, which I love. On that round, I removed over 90 F-bombs and countless other swear words.

6) Do you have a special story, a discovery you made while doing research, or an innocuous thought that grew into something bigger that is behind your inspiration for the book?

I toured wineries in the Texas Hill Country while researching for HAVEN. The first time I saw a grape de-stemmer, the scene near the end (if you’ve read it, you know the one) popped into my head immediately. It haunted me for weeks until I wrote it down.

7) Who was your favorite character to write and who gave you the most trouble?

Petra was by far my favorite, but only because she was a surprise and not part of the original outline. The Chief gave me the most trouble. If you’ve read the book, you might understand why. As the author, I knew who she was, but she needed to come across as something entirely different, not only because I wanted her to, but she wanted it as well.

8) If you could ask a character of your choice from HAVEN one question what would it be?

I asked my characters every question I could think of. I didn’t always like their answers. J

9) What scene from the book are you most proud of (because of how you handled the atmosphere, characters, dialogue, etc)?

I’m primarily proud of the atmosphere and setting. Small towns fascinate me, having spent a time in one because my grandparents lived on a ranch outside of Point, TX and we visited a lot. (population 309 while growing up). I love New Wurzburg, an outwardly innocuous small town with big secrets.

10) Is there a scene that you had difficulty with and just had to “power through” to finish the book? Or a scene that made you very emotional?

I rewrote the ending so many times it’s ridiculous.

11) What are the top five things we should know as a reader before starting HAVEN (about the main character, their love interest, the antagonist, their world/home town, their situation, the book’s mythology, etc)

I think it’s best to come into a mystery knowing nothing. J That said, I based the shifter and witch world building on accounts of the Bamberg and Wurzburg witch trials of the 1600’s. I loved the German shifter belt lore and threw that in as well.

12) What is next for you? What are your currently working on?

I’m working on a book related to Haven in addition to an adult romantic comedy and an adult paranormal.

Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today!

Mary Lindsey is a multi award-winning, RITA® nominated author of romance for adults and teens. She lives on an island in the middle of a river. Seriously, she does. When not writing, she wrangles her rowdy pack of three teens, two Cairn Terriers, and one husband. Inexplicably, her favorite animal is the giant anteater and at one point, she had over 200 “pet” Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. The roaches are a long story involving three science-crazed kids and a soft spot for rescue animals. The good news is, the “pet” roaches found a home… somewhere else.